Gaetano Pesce vase on the windowsill and George Nelson & Associates bench on the carpet in Pierre Apraxine's home.
Photo: Annie Schlechter.
It comes as no surprise that Pierre Apraxine is a man who knows how to live well. An aesthete to the core, his keen eye has served some of the most important collections in the world for decades.
Born in Estonia and educated in Belgium, his sight turned to New York in the 70s and he’s never looked back. Pierre Apraxine has curated exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Bibliothèque National de France. What’s more, he spent 31 years as Art Curator for the Howard Gilman Paper Company Collection and is recognized by the Republic of France as Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
But what happens when such an eye turns toward its own home? Find out below as we highlight magnificent works of design from his personal collection in Manhattan.
All Design pieces are available in our Design: Online Auction 7 February – 14 February. Selections from Apraxine’s photography collection will also be available this spring in our New York Photographs auction.
Learn more >
Set the Mood
Left, on floor: Superstudio, “Gherpe” table lamp.
Right, on floor: André Dubreuil, early and rare “Perles” candleholder.
Photo: Annie Schlechter.
By Lamplight
This 1968 lamp by Superstudio for Poltronova is a hallmark of radical Italian design. It’s also one of the first examples of interactive lighting in history. The Perspex diffusers, inspired by the shells of marine creatures, allow adjustment of light intensity.
Superstudio, “Gherpe” table lamp. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $1,200 – 1,800. | View >
By Candlelight
Dubbed the “poet of iron” by his biographer, André Dubreuil’s ornate and graceful yet unexpected use of metals is inimitable. Dubreuil created a series of works such as this candleholder — titled “Pearls” in English — that implement glass bead details. This early example is particularly rare — as the bronze component just above the four legs is pear-shaped rather than spherical, which was used in later examples. Only approximately eight of these examples were ever made.
André Dubreuil, Early and rare "Perles" candleholder. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $8,000 – 12,000. | View >
Invest in Detail
Left: Bench, model no. 4690-M by George Nelson & Associates serves as Apraxine's coffee table.
Right: He presents Vase by Gaetano Pesce on his windowsill.
Photo: Annie Schlechter.
The Icon
There’s perhaps no more influential figure in postwar American industrial design than George Nelson. He brought innovative ideas to the design market through his role as Director of Design at Herman Miller and as designer at his own studio. The functional form of this bench is an iconic example of not only Nelson’s design but also, more broadly, the design trends of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States.
George Nelson & Associates, Bench, model no. 4690-M. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $1,000 – 1,500. | View >
The Renegade
Pioneering Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce is known for pushing the boundaries of his materials, production methods, and color. The striking color and the use of resin to create this vase is a prime example of the designer’s boundary-pushing practice.
Gaetano Pesce, Vase. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $600 – 800. | View >
Most of the things that I ‘collected’ found their place in museums and institutions and so on, but the things that I am surrounded with — they got here and never left.
—Pierre Apraxine
Make it Pop
Left: Apraxine uses Giuseppe Ostuni's Adjustable floor lamp to light his Russian Empire armchair and Peruvian ceramic pot.
Right: A floral arrangement on Ettore Sottsass Jr.'s "Le Strutture Tremano" table.
Also shown are works by Irving Penn and Wolfgang Tillmans to be offered this spring in Phillips’ New York Photographs auction.
Photo: Annie Schlechter.
With Light
Giuseppe Ostuni founded the iconic lighting company O-Luce in 1958. It remains one of the oldest Italian design companies active today. This creative floor lamp shows the designer’s interest in the reflective qualities of metal and is adjustable — allowing one to highlight key pieces of a room.
Giuseppe Ostuni, Adjustable floor lamp. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $6,000 – 8,000. | View >
With Color
Ettore Sottsass Jr.'s eccentric works often use bold colors and industrial materials such as glass and ceramic. The wavy legs of this whimsical table lead to a perfect surface to display objects, such as Apraxine’s bouquet as seen above.
Ettore Sottsass, Jr., "Le Strutture Tremano" table. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $1,200 – 1,800. | View >
Take a Seat
A table from Maarten Baas' "Smoke" series serves as Apraxine's workspace.
Photo: Annie Schlechter.
To Work
The “Smoke” series by Danish designer Maarten Baas makes innovative use of materials and process. The works are scorched and then preserved in epoxy resin, to otherworldly effect. See here how well the striking color and texture of this table blends with the variety of objects in Apraxine’s library.
Maarten Baas, Table, from the "Smoke" series. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $6,000 – 8,000. | View >
Joe Colombo's “Elda” armchair creates a reading nook in Apraxine's living room.
Photo: Annie Schlechter. | View >
To Lounge
The instantly recognizable "Elda" armchair by Joe Colombo needs little introduction. Replete with leather upholstery and 360-degree swivel, its aesthetic is a testament to the designer’s futuristic visual language. It is also exceptionally comfortable. Says Pierre, “For me it is perfect.”
Joe Colombo, “Elda” armchair. Design: Online Auction.
Estimate: $2,500 – 3,500.
Collect
It’s clear that Pierre Apraxine is a seasoned collector. He’s one who has truly lived with his acquisitions. Yet, the traditions of buying and selling are staples of any collector’s own practice — collections are never complete but are constantly evolving.
Pierre summed this up perfectly when he told New York Magazine, “Some things come here and have a life of their own. They decide to spend some time at my place; it’s a good address for them and then they are on their way someplace else.”
That place could be yours.
Design: Online Auction /
7 – 14 February 2023
Opening 1:00pm EST 7 February 2023
Closing 1:00pm EST 14 February 2023
Sale Highlights Exhibition
7 – 14 February
Monday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm
432 Park Avenue
New York, NY, 10022 (map)
Recommended Reading
Towards Organic Modernism: 1950s American Interiors >